The Most Memorable Pop-Ups: A Retrospective

Contrary to the name, pop-ups are definitely here to stay. Though an oversaturated space for a minute, the bubble never burst, thanks to the best marketers combining creativity and technology. From brand introductions and awareness to building consumer relationships, pop-up marketing provides a huge engagement opportunity if executed thoughtfully. We rounded up some of the most successful experiences of late to find out what makes a pop-up memorable and why. 

Converse x Hello Kitty Los Angeles Pop-Up | Industria Creative

To promote the limited-edition Converse x Hello Kitty sneaker drop, Industria Creative, a boutique, full-service experiential firm, created a pop-up celebration in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. Inspired by Kawaii, the Japanese concept of incredible cuteness, Industria adorned industrial retail displays with pink and red bows, gave away plush toys and installed a Hello Kitty photo moment. Anchoring the party, Industria created a revolving conveyor belt complete with custom candy sushi for guests! The young (and young at heart), passionate sneaker-heads and Sanrio fanatics came out in droves for photo booths, DJs, special gift-with purchases and, of course, the new kicks! 

Converse x Hello Kitty Los Angeles Pop-Up

"We are seeing a resurgence of pop up and experience-based temporary retail as a viable and effective approach for brands looking to connect their products and brand with consumers," said Anthony Larrisey, Principal and Chief Creative Officer at Industria Creative. "We are getting more and more requests from clients and prospectives asking to deliver pop-up experiences - only now with additional tech integration to track and measure the consumer journey, reactions and behaviors."


Life Coach | the projects*

An original brand activation held over six days, Life Coach explored the ideas of mindfulness, self-expression and cosmic guidance through a multi-room, multi-sensory experience, curated for a New York audience. These themes were brought to life through the lens of the Coach brand and aesthetic. 

Life Coach was born out of the realization that consciousness and self-awareness are the calling cards of what’s truly aspirational in the current age. It begs the question: Can a brand really contribute in a positive way to rapidly deepening cultural movement? As the projects*' CEO Jack Bedwani says: "It was definitely something we hadn’t seen a luxury fashion brand attempt before, let alone do with the deftness and delicacy that it would require to join the cultural conversation in a way that added to it, rather than distracted from it." 

Bedwani adds "Unique experiences are far more valuable than physical possessions and yet at the same time, everyone is crazy about feeding the ‘gram. This is the paradox of the age that we live in. It’s a fascinating duality; one that embraces all aspects of who we are now. Enter Life Coach: an experience that taps into the new understanding that “being woke” is how you want to be. It’s the golden ticket." 


Life Coach

Life Coach was a demonstration of the brand’s real understanding of what the new paradigm is, and where it’s taking us. It was a brand experience that shows a true awareness that the Coach customer as a multifaceted human being, capable of pursuing both style and substance, being both sartorially savvy and also on a quest to live more mindfully. 'How do you provide an experience that quenches peoples’ thirst for self awareness, and do it in an experiential and highly shareable way?' It’s this question that ultimately inspired the design of Life Coach. 

A four-room linear experience, each space represented different aspects of quintessential New York City culture. Transporting guests into micro-worlds that were elevated in fantasy, the rooms were crafted to give guests a sense of both displacement and belonging. The rooms were brought to life by internationally renowned set designer Simon Costin, whose work with the fashion establishment (Alexander McQueen, Givenchy, Hermès, Martin Margiela) had cemented his reputation as one of the industry’s most sought-after creatives. 


Life Coach

The experience had a linear feel as guests moved through the space.In each room guests had the opportunity to co-create their own bespoke experience, one that reflected who they are, by engaging with the readers and mystics they were drawn to. It could be as playful and easy as you wanted, or you could step into it on a more profound level. There was no wrong way to experience the space and the deeper you looked, the more that was revealed. 

How does this experience dovetail into the overall concept of conscious consumerism? Bedwani explains, "Guests could experience an exchange of consciousness, one that embodies the Coach philosophy that the culture of luxury can go hand in hand with our deeper desire for meaning, mindfulness and a connection to something greater than just a three-dimensional material experience." 


FILA Explore | MKG

To help launch the FILA Explore collection, MKG created a series of 11 pop-ups worldwide. The hero store was located in NYC, with accompanying pop-ups opening in Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, Mumbai, and Sao Paulo, amongst others.


Fila Explore 

The concept was to bring various senses of nature to life in the world's busiest cities. The overall design takes notes from organic topographical maps. Woven into the designs were unexpected sensorial moments inspired by the collection. Johan Gerdin, MKG Associate Creative Director and the lead creative on the FILA Explore project explains that in NYC they created "an abstracted canyon-installation, a light source that warps its appearance as guests interact with the space, and a mountain area where soundproof walls and ceilings create serenity, contrasting the busy-ness of city life outside. We created designs that are viscerally impactful, something to be experienced in person. Our concept was also created with multiple markets in mind, and our bold expressions are translating really well globally."


Booking.com Avo-condo Australia | Red Havas

Red Havas launched the world’s first ‘Avo-condo’ down under client Booking.com. The approach for the Avo-condo was around telling the story of the unique experiences that Booking.com offers through the breadth of accommodation it offers. 
Adam Freedman, Practice Head, Consumer Red Havas, says "We celebrated an iconic staple of Australia – the avocado – and hijacked National Avocado Day – the ultimate day of celebration for the favored fruit – to create a spectacle of our own. There was an avocado-shaped and themed property that people could sign up to stay in for a night as part of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Booking.com guests were able to book the avo-condo for a limited time to enjoy the ‘smashing’ view!"

Booking.com Avo-condo


TwelveNYC Beauty Pop-Up at Macy’s Herald Square | OneNine Design

OneNine Design and TwelveNYC brought the beach to Macy’s with a beauty pop up on the floor of the iconic Macy’s Herald Square. Agency founder Stephanie Kimes says "We created a shoppable experience for consumers that was functional and fun. A life-sized dollhouse was installed in-store complete with a mini tea party vanity and a selfie shower. From concept to execution, this was one of One Nine Design's favorite partnerships and creative projects."


Macy's Summer Beach House

ViewHouse x Mindbody Wellness Pop-Up

ViewHouse, a chef-driven eatery and entertainment venue in Denver, recently worked with Mindbody, a fitness scheduling app, with a collaborative partnership that has centered around fitness pop up classes at ViewHouse. To kick off the partnership, ViewHouse worked with the Mindbody team to secure a fitness studio, Compass Fitness, to host a free wellness pop-up at the restaurant. Jennifer Ruppert, Marketing Director of ViewHouse, elaborates on the activation's success, saying "The results of the first pop-up were a success and helped to facilitate further wellness events. The team from both sides worked together to seamlessly promote the event and mission of each party. From there, ViewHouse has received glowing reviews from local fitness studios and the Mindbody team through social media, local/regional media, and guests who have participated in the events.


ViewHouse

Partnering with Mindbody was a no-brainer. They spearheaded the class booking, helped co-promote the series to their members, and come on-site with fun swag and giveaways. The partnership has been a great success because between the restaurant, the gyms, and Mindbody, there is the same goal in mind—to encourage everyone to live a healthy lifestyle within a supportive fitness community while having fun all at the same time."

Old Navy Bluesology Bar | Industria Creative
Industria Creative transformed a West Hollywood loft into the Old Navy Bluesology Bar – a consumer activation designed to promote Fall denim. The installation included a denim bar with 10,000 pairs of jeans, the launch of the Old Navy app, revolving conveyor belts, articulated leg installation, social media photo station, juice cleanse bar, live bands, DJs, VIP events, celebrities, fashion bloggers, and more! The reunited cast of Beverly Hills 90210, assembled for the upcoming ad campaign, jumped in the fun by making personal appearances. The activation resulted in thousands of consumers attending the pop-up, millions of media impressions, and product sampling driving traffic to retail stores and online.


Old Navy Bluesology Bar


The takeaways: Sheridan&Co Director Freddie Sheridan breaks it down.

The customer should be at the center of everything. People consistently send us a clear message by responding to big initiatives so it is important to frame the objectives in a way that sets standards high:

- Brand awareness is a bold statement that catches people’s attention. This must also be a demonstration of what makes your brand truly unique. 
- Building relationships is about clearly communicating your brand values. This must help to communicate what people can gain from a connection with your brand over and above the product itself. 
- Education is about more than short term sales volume. Returning customers are those who genuinely find products that are right for them and can trust that is what they will discover at every future interaction.
- The most successful pop ups encourage evangelism, either through social media or by word of mouth. This falls short when executed it in a way that feels forced. It must be thoughtful, considered and genuinely engaging.

Pop-ups are high impact by nature as they need to deliver strong results in a short period, due to their relatively short life span they it is also important that they do not cost the earth. People are becoming experts at seeking out integrity and they want to build relationships that are founded upon emotional connections. The real secret to success is to find ways to be efficient with costs without sacrificing a single opportunity to provide genuine insight into the heart of the brand.




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